Dry conditions in South Island a challenge for farmers, says Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson

Minister for Rural Communities Mark Patterson says he will continue to work with Rural Support Trusts to make sure farmers have the support they need. Photo / RNZ

By Monique Steele of RNZ

Some farmers at the top of the South Island are already distributing their winter feed supplies to stock as dry conditions bite.

Minister for Rural Communities Mark Patterson visited Marlborough on Monday and told RNZ: “It’s a tough time for all concerned”.

The Government allocated $20,000 to the Rural Support Trust for Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough in late February to help it organise events to get farmers off farm.

Marlborough and parts of Tasman, as well as parts of Northland and Wairarapa, are listed as “very dry” in the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) drought index.

Patterson said the conditions were becoming a challenge.

“Serious dry has set in, not withstanding a bit of rain overnight.

“The hills have got that grey colour and the vineyards are starting to look like they are under stress.

“Reports from Nelson and Tasman are that it is pretty similar there as well.”

He said he would continue to work with Rural Support Trusts to ensure farmers had the support they needed.

Conditions were well forecast so farmers could prepare.

The Niwa drought index lists Marlborough and parts of Tasman, as well as parts of Northland and Wairarapa, as “very dry”. Photo / RNZ

“Now is the tough time as we are getting into autumn and people are trying to get some feed away for winter.

“But they are in the midst of the long grind of feeding out, but with winter still a long way away.

“It’s been a tough time for all concerned.”

The Government has not classified the dry conditions as a medium-scale adverse weather event, but the minister said it would monitor conditions to see if more funding was needed.

Marlborough’s Federated Farmers president Evan White said he believed the Government should have declared a drought to open up tax breaks for those who needed it most.

But White said it was positive the minister had come to the region to witness the conditions first hand.

– RNZ